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Pawtucket

Sort of like how Pearce was a lock for 4 years $36mill...

Where was Oakland one year ago? Did you think they were any better then than you think Seattle is today? A lot can happen over 162 games. A key injury here and a breakout season there and an unexpected team makes the postseason. One year ago, I as listening to Steve Phillips and Edward Perez on MLB Network play a game they called “Three In, Three Out”. The premise was to name 3 postseason teams from the prior year that wouldn’t return to the playoffs and replace them with three new teams that would, based on recent history for how the postseason plays out. They invited a few guests to join in, but I forget who they were. Boston (along with Minnesota) was a universal “out” choice. Washington was not selected by anyone. Oops and oops. If we had to do a “Three In, Three Out” this year, what would your choices be?

But there is a huge difference between expectations and results. Even in those highlighted seasons, did everyone expect that level of disparity in March? (I don’t expect an actual answer.) And for the 12 “no chance” teams, bear I mind in each of the last two two years, a “no chance” team in the AL grabbed a Wild Card spot. Sure we look at the 8 AL teams listed above and think the remaining 7 have no shot, but there’s actually a decent chance and enough precedent to say it might not play out that way. Baltimore is certainly a mess. Toronto has a rough schedule. KC is trending downward from their pique in 2015. And nothing looks right with the Tigers. But every MLB team does have 25 MLB-caliber players, and MLB-caliber players sometimes do manage to put it all together when no one expects them to. Can the White Sox make an unexpected playoff run? They do have a lot of good young player’s capable of breaking out. (They may not this year - or ever - but they have a lot of potential talent). Or maybe Seattle can make a run. Certainly Los Angeles of Anaheim has some great players on the field, but can they overcome their constant influx of problems on the mound? While Toronto does have said rough schedule, even they might not be so bad. We credit Tampa with a shot at contention based upon 2 good months and a huge chunk of lackluster play that encompassed the rest of the season. Can Toronto or Anaheim or Chicago put together 2 good months? And these teams also have the potential to add the still-unsigned Keuchel and Kimbrel. Although in doing so, any run might feel less surprising...

MLB has always had bad teams and teams you knew had no chance from day one. But there is no denying this off-season and last year’s were boring to unprecedented levels...

Oh. Whoops...

“Come” to the Dark Side? Dude my mailing address has been on the dark side for years. I’m thinking of running for Dark Side School Board...

... can be very messy. (That adage needed a realistic update.)

I assume you failed him...

Change it back !! You’re making me look bad!!

And even sillier to think that Dombrowski would bow out in that case. If Martinez wants to opt out and reduce his AAV, how exactly is that a hindrance to Boston?

So true, but DD has given us so little to talk about this off-season that we have a 23 page thread dedicated to who should be the backup catcher. And even still no decision seems imminent...

I expect Cora to have input but ultimately the decision falls with Dombrowski.,,

Eh. I’ve read plenty who say Leon is. Of course all of this is the speculation of sportswriters when the only opinion that matters is Dombrowski’s...

Why not? He’s going to be stressing us out all year!!!!!

Fielding percentage and Range Factor are useless. Range Factor especially, since it has nothing to do with range. It’s only good for comparing 2 players who play the same position on the same team...

Apparently the 3 batter minimum rule is in effect for 2020, but only in the Atlantic League. The MLBPA does oppose this rule for now, but their approval isn’t necessary. Notin’s Take: Manfred can implement this on his own, and might very well do so not just to speed up games, but as a bargaining chip for the next CBA, which expires after the 2021 season, I believe...

Boooo!!! Bad Manfred!! Bad!! Is this official? While Manfred has the authority to implement it on his own, he did say it came out of an agreement with MLBPA. Tony Clark immediately refuted that MLBPA agreed...

And commercials will be sped up to make them fit, which should also be fun...

But give more chances to the better teams so as to incentivize winning...

I think if MLB is concerned with tanking, they should revamp the draft. Give the first pick to the best team that misses the playoffs and essentially reverse the dragtnorder among the 20 non-playoff teams, so that the worst team picks 20th . This should disincentive rebuilding teams from throwing crap rosters out there, even with the slow impact of the MLB draft...

I don’t like any rule that bans strategic ploys. No batter minimum. Allow all shifts. Otherwise, what’s next? Banning the practice of fouling off multiple pitches while waiting for a good one? Limiting pitchers to one throw to 1b per batter? No more pitch outs?

... which was why the Winnipeg Pleasant Little Pacifists was forced to change their name...

Didn’t say Nunez was a better player. Just that he’s basically the same hitter.

And they’re slimming!